The Jane Austen Series: Persuasion LbNA #6842 (ARCHIVED)
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Add Location| Owner: | Clueless  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Jan 3, 2004 |
| Location: | |
| City: | New Hope |
| County: | Bucks |
| State: | Pennsylvania |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | lephantman13 |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Jul 15, 2004 |
| Status: | FFFaFFFaam |
| Last edited: | Jan 3, 2004 |
***CONFIRMED MISSING DECEMBER 2009; PLAN TO REPLACE IN 2010***
For background on this series see the letterbox entitled “The Jane Austen Series: Jane Austen”.
*************
This box is a SHORT BUT STEEP (!!) hunt; please use caution!
“Persuasion”, published in 1819, is Jane Austen’s last completed novel. It is the story of Anne Elliot, a young woman who, in true Jane Austen style, is elegant, sweet, and of superior character, but above all, intelligent and observant. Anne had at the age of nineteen met Frederick Wentworth, whose own character traits could only make him worthy of Anne. An engagement soon followed, for as Jane writes, “half the sum of attraction on either side might have been enough, for he had nothing to do and she had hardly any body to love.” I love Jane – she’s so honest, even though she’s a romantic at heart.
Unfortunately, the family did not approve and Anne was persuaded to end the engagement; for Anne, eight years of regret followed before her path crossed with Frederick’s again.
“Persuasion” is a story of hope – dare I say New Hope? With Jane as the author, it is also a study of society and the people that form it. It’s not her best work, but the letter near the end – well, sometimes I open the book and just read that. Enough said.
Below is a long lost unfinished scene taking place during that brief engagement between Anne and Frederick. It’s obvious Jane still had a lot of editing to do, but you get the basic idea.
********
It was a very fine day for January, and Frederick stopped at Kellynch Hall to ask Anne if she should like to go for a drive into town. Anne was happy to go anywhere with Frederick; as she put down her needlework, she replied with a smile, “Certainly, Frederick, I am so very fond of a drive.”
They drove into town on River Road. Frederick tied the horses at the Locktender’s House, and handed Anne down from the carriage. They strolled arm in arm along Main Street, admiring the quaint shops and learning some history along the way. Frederick promised Anne a return trip to Lambertville, assuring her it was equally as pleasant. “Can we not go there now, Frederick?” Anne inquired, but Frederick replied that he wanted her to not be fatigued for their next adventure. “Whatever do you mean?” she cried, but he would not tell.
They returned to the carriage, where Anne struggled to refrain from asking again what adventure was next. But they were soon traveling, and almost immediately upon leaving town, Frederick turned right onto Windy Bush Road, which was not their route home. She looked ahead, but could not tell what was in store. Quickly they came to a cemetery on their right, and Frederick turned in. Anne was quite shocked at this, as a cemetery had in no way crossed her mind when she thought of adventure.
For the second time that day, Frederick handed her from the carriage. They walked towards an enclosed group of gravestones, Anne looking at Frederick questioningly, but trusting his judgement nonetheless. “Look at the dates on these headstones,” remarked Frederick [Ed. note: Austen scholars agree that he was probably surprised that the dates were in the future]; “You might recognize some of the names from the things we saw and discussed about New Hope and Lambertville.” Anne agreed it was interesting, still holding judgement on this adventure.
They strolled up the path towards another enclosed group of headstones near the road on their right. Anne did not like to gaze upon the headstones, and she turned away, taking several steps further in the same direction. “Look Frederick,” she said shortly, pointing a short distance away, “it looks like great amounts of water have carved this gully into the earth, though it appears dry now.” “Aha!” said Frederick “Sweet girl! I knew the raptures of nature would take hold of you! Come, follow me!”
He grabbed her hand and led her down the hill along the gully. “Use caution, my darling, as the leaves can be slippery, and the terrain is steep.” They moved down the hill slowly, Frederick assisting Anne over some downed trees.
Anne could hear it before she could see it: the sound of water moving over rocks. It brought a sense of calm to her being, stirring deep within her breast, reminding her of the love she felt for Frederick. They approached the creek, but did not get that close, as the banks were steep and Frederick worried about his beloved slipping. Anne smiled brightly at Frederick and squeezed his hand. After she pointed out an interesting tree growing out and up across the gully, he remarked “I knew you would like this." They moved upstream [that would be to the left, for those visiting when the creek is dry] a bit, walking beneath a line of beech trees.
When they were at the far end of where a solid wall of rock cut diagonally across the creek, Frederick pointed to a tree of two situated above, and said “Let us sit next to these trees joined as we soon shall be, and enjoy each other’s company while we watch and listen to the water flow over the rocks below.” Anne eagerly agreed, and they were soon seated next to the tree. As Frederick was enjoying the sight below them, Anne became distracted. “Frederick,” she said, “why do you suppose there is a pile of rocks inside the base of this tree?”
***
Jane never finished this chapter, but I think you can guess what happens next. If you want to know why stamp image was chosen (“The Asp”) and what it has to do with Anne and Frederick, read the book!
For background on this series see the letterbox entitled “The Jane Austen Series: Jane Austen”.
*************
This box is a SHORT BUT STEEP (!!) hunt; please use caution!
“Persuasion”, published in 1819, is Jane Austen’s last completed novel. It is the story of Anne Elliot, a young woman who, in true Jane Austen style, is elegant, sweet, and of superior character, but above all, intelligent and observant. Anne had at the age of nineteen met Frederick Wentworth, whose own character traits could only make him worthy of Anne. An engagement soon followed, for as Jane writes, “half the sum of attraction on either side might have been enough, for he had nothing to do and she had hardly any body to love.” I love Jane – she’s so honest, even though she’s a romantic at heart.
Unfortunately, the family did not approve and Anne was persuaded to end the engagement; for Anne, eight years of regret followed before her path crossed with Frederick’s again.
“Persuasion” is a story of hope – dare I say New Hope? With Jane as the author, it is also a study of society and the people that form it. It’s not her best work, but the letter near the end – well, sometimes I open the book and just read that. Enough said.
Below is a long lost unfinished scene taking place during that brief engagement between Anne and Frederick. It’s obvious Jane still had a lot of editing to do, but you get the basic idea.
********
It was a very fine day for January, and Frederick stopped at Kellynch Hall to ask Anne if she should like to go for a drive into town. Anne was happy to go anywhere with Frederick; as she put down her needlework, she replied with a smile, “Certainly, Frederick, I am so very fond of a drive.”
They drove into town on River Road. Frederick tied the horses at the Locktender’s House, and handed Anne down from the carriage. They strolled arm in arm along Main Street, admiring the quaint shops and learning some history along the way. Frederick promised Anne a return trip to Lambertville, assuring her it was equally as pleasant. “Can we not go there now, Frederick?” Anne inquired, but Frederick replied that he wanted her to not be fatigued for their next adventure. “Whatever do you mean?” she cried, but he would not tell.
They returned to the carriage, where Anne struggled to refrain from asking again what adventure was next. But they were soon traveling, and almost immediately upon leaving town, Frederick turned right onto Windy Bush Road, which was not their route home. She looked ahead, but could not tell what was in store. Quickly they came to a cemetery on their right, and Frederick turned in. Anne was quite shocked at this, as a cemetery had in no way crossed her mind when she thought of adventure.
For the second time that day, Frederick handed her from the carriage. They walked towards an enclosed group of gravestones, Anne looking at Frederick questioningly, but trusting his judgement nonetheless. “Look at the dates on these headstones,” remarked Frederick [Ed. note: Austen scholars agree that he was probably surprised that the dates were in the future]; “You might recognize some of the names from the things we saw and discussed about New Hope and Lambertville.” Anne agreed it was interesting, still holding judgement on this adventure.
They strolled up the path towards another enclosed group of headstones near the road on their right. Anne did not like to gaze upon the headstones, and she turned away, taking several steps further in the same direction. “Look Frederick,” she said shortly, pointing a short distance away, “it looks like great amounts of water have carved this gully into the earth, though it appears dry now.” “Aha!” said Frederick “Sweet girl! I knew the raptures of nature would take hold of you! Come, follow me!”
He grabbed her hand and led her down the hill along the gully. “Use caution, my darling, as the leaves can be slippery, and the terrain is steep.” They moved down the hill slowly, Frederick assisting Anne over some downed trees.
Anne could hear it before she could see it: the sound of water moving over rocks. It brought a sense of calm to her being, stirring deep within her breast, reminding her of the love she felt for Frederick. They approached the creek, but did not get that close, as the banks were steep and Frederick worried about his beloved slipping. Anne smiled brightly at Frederick and squeezed his hand. After she pointed out an interesting tree growing out and up across the gully, he remarked “I knew you would like this." They moved upstream [that would be to the left, for those visiting when the creek is dry] a bit, walking beneath a line of beech trees.
When they were at the far end of where a solid wall of rock cut diagonally across the creek, Frederick pointed to a tree of two situated above, and said “Let us sit next to these trees joined as we soon shall be, and enjoy each other’s company while we watch and listen to the water flow over the rocks below.” Anne eagerly agreed, and they were soon seated next to the tree. As Frederick was enjoying the sight below them, Anne became distracted. “Frederick,” she said, “why do you suppose there is a pile of rocks inside the base of this tree?”
***
Jane never finished this chapter, but I think you can guess what happens next. If you want to know why stamp image was chosen (“The Asp”) and what it has to do with Anne and Frederick, read the book!